Jeremy Clarkson, Man of The Grand Tour, Will Host Who Wants to be a Millionaire!

It’s the British version of the show so don’t expect to see it here in the U.S.

It’s official. Jeremy Clarkson is trading in his all-denim look for (hopefully) a suit and a tie when he takes the stage as the new host of the British version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The Grand Tour host will take the helm of the once-popular reality quiz show when it returns to British network ITV after a four-year absence. The show will officially return this spring for one week, running seven nightly one-hour episodes.

Chris Tarrant was there for all 15 years, and he was one of the first people to admit that the original show had “run its course.”

This is great news for fans of Jeremy Clarkson and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Many thought that the show had run its course in 2014 when it went off the air after a remarkable 15-year run that peaked with over 19 million viewers tuning in back in 1999. Former host Chris Tarrant was the driving force behind the show’s original run. He was there for all 15 years, and he was one of the first people to admit that the original show had “run its course.”

Now, it’s getting dusted off with the always loquacious Clarkson taking the host’s seat from Tarrant. It’s going to be an interesting mix having Clarkson serve as the game show’s host. The former Top Gear host appears to be looking forward to his new gig, taking to Twitter to say, “I have always loved the show and am thrilled to be involved with its rebirth.” Clarkson also admitted to being a “big fan” of quiz shows and is “looking forward to hosting the show and, hopefully, make a few millionaires.”

The goal is to answer all 15 questions successfully in order to win the £1 million prize

For those who are unfamiliar with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, the show involves contestants getting asked a series of questions that increase in difficulty the further they go up a money ladder. The goal is to answer all 15 questions successfully in order to win the £1 million prize. Contestants are given a series of lifelines, including asking the audience, phoning a friend, or taking a 50:50 option. If a contestant exhausts all three lifelines and gets a wrong answer, he moves down to a specific rung on the ladder, taking home that “base” prize for his efforts. In the course of its original 15-year run, the U.K. version of the show saw five winners going home with the £1 million top prize.

The previous incarnation of the show also became so popular that it spawned versions globally, including in the U.S., India, Australia, Japan, Russia, and the Philippines. It also served as the inspiration behind the Oscar-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire.

For its part, ITV has high hopes that the returning show will reignite interest in the brand. “I hope Millionaire will be introduced to a whole new generation,” ITV’s head of entertainment, Siobhan Greene, said. “And, with TV legend Jeremy Clarkson asking the questions, frankly anything could happen. I can’t wait."

We certainly can’t wait ourselves. It’d be fun to see Jezza in that kind of environment. Maybe, just maybe, he could get tips from Richard Hammond on how to be a “serious” host. Just a thought.